Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West - Visit my main website at www.peterblack.wales

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Future data

The Daily Post leads today on the shocking figures released by the Government that 600 North Wales children were added to the DNA database in just three months. They tell us that youngsters aged between 10 and 17 accounted for around one in four new additions to the database.

The figures also show that the rate North Wales police officers took samples from under 18s was above the national average. Officials can hold under-18s’ genetic fingerprints indefinitely, even if they are released without charge.

Jenny Willott is absolutely right to claim that this practise is leading to the mass criminalisation of children. She said: “These shocking figures demonstrate just how many children are being dragged into the criminal justice system by the Government.

“There is something horribly Big Brotherish about a society that is adding over 5,000 kids a month nationally to a DNA database when they’re not even old enough to get a National Insurance Number.

“People who have never been charged or convicted with any offence should have their DNA removed from the database. It is completely unacceptable for the Government to hold the DNA of innocent people on record forever.”

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